Normal Probability

Distributions
 Properties of Normal Distributions
A continuous random variable has an infinite
number of possible values that can be represented
by an interval on the number line.

Hours spent studying in a

day
0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24

The time spent

studying can be
any number
between 0 and 24.

The probability distribution of a continuous random

variable is called a continuous probability
distribution.
 Properties of Normal Distributions
The most important probability distribution in
statistics is the normal distribution.

Normal curve

A normal distribution is a continuous probability

distribution for a random variable, x. The graph of a
normal distribution is called the normal curve.
Properties of Normal Distributions
Properties of a Normal Distribution
1. The mean, median, and mode are equal.
2. The normal curve is bell-shaped and symmetric
about the mean.
3. The total area under the curve is equal to one.
4. The normal curve approaches, but never touches
the x-axis as it extends farther and farther away
from the mean.
5. Between and + (in the center of the
curve), the graph curves downward. The graph
curves upward to the left of and to the right
of + . The points at which the curve changes
from curving upward to curving downward are
called the inflection points.
Properties of Normal Distributions

Inflection points

Total area = 1

x
3 2 + + 2 + 3

If x is a continuous random variable having a

normal distribution with mean and standard
deviation , you can graph a normal curve with the
equation 1
y= e-(x- )2
2 2
. e=2.178 =3.14
2
How to draw The Standard Normal
Distribution
The standard normal distribution is a normal
distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation
of 1.

The horizontal scale

corresponds to z-
scores.
z
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
Any value can be transformed into a z-score by using the formula

Value - Mean x-
z= = .
Standard deviation
The Standard Normal Distribution
If each data value of a normally distributed random
variable x is transformed into a z-score, the result
will be the standard normal distribution.
The area that falls in the interval
under the nonstandard normal curve
(the x-values) is the same as the
area under the standard normal
curve (within the corresponding z-
boundaries).

z
3 2 1 0 1 2 3

After the formula is used to transform an x-value into a z-score, the Standard
Normal Table in Appendix B is used to find the cumulative area under the
curve.
The Standard Normal Table
Properties of the Standard Normal
Distribution
1. The cumulative area is close to 0 for z-scores close to z =
3.49.
2. The cumulative area increases as the z-scores increase.
3. The cumulative area for z = 0 is 0.5000.
4. The cumulative area is close to 1 for z-scores close to z =
3.49

Area is close to 0. Area is close to 1.

z
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
z = 3.49 z = 3.49
z=0
Area is 0.5000.
The Standard Normal Table
Example:
Find the cumulative area that corresponds to a z-
score of 2.71.
Appendix B: Standard Normal Table
z .00 .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08 .09

0.0 .0000 .0040 .0080 .0120 .0160 .0199 .0239 .0279 .0319 .0359

0.1 .0398 .0438 .0478 .0517 .0557 .0596 .0636 .0675 .0714 .0753

0.2 .0793 .0832 .0871 .0910 .0948 .0987 .1026 .1064 .1103 .1141

2.6 .4953 .4955 .4956 .4957 .4959 .4960 .4961 .4962 .4963 .4964

2.7 .4965 .4966 .4967 .4968 .4969 .4970 .4971 .4972 .4973 .4974

2.8 .4974 .4975 .4976 .4977 .4977 .4978 .4979 .4979 .4980 .4981

Find the area by finding 2.7 in the left hand column,

and then moving across the row to the column
under 0.01.
The area to the left of z = 2.71 is
0.4966+0.5000=0.9966.
The Standard Normal Table
Example:
Find the cumulative area that corresponds to a z-
score of 0.25.
Appendix B: Standard Normal Table
z .09 .08 .07 .06 .05 .04 .03 .02 .01 .00

3.4 .0002 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003 .0003

3.3 .0003 .0004 .0004 .0004 .0004 .0004 .0004 .0005 .0005 .0005

0.3 .3483 .3520 .3557 .3594 .3632 .3669 .3707 .3745 .3783 .3821

0.2 .3859 .3897 .3936 .3974 .4013 .4052 .4090 .4129 .4168 .4207

0.1 .4247 .4286 .4325 .4364 .4404 .4443 .4483 .4522 .4562 .4602
0.0 .4641 .4681 .4724 .4761 .4801 .4840 .4880 .4920 .4960 .5000

Find the area by finding 0.2 in the left hand column,

and then moving across the row to the column under
0.05.
The area to the left of z = 0.25 is 0.4013
Guidelines for Finding Areas
Finding Areas Under the Standard
Normal Curve
1. Sketch the standard normal curve and shade the
appropriate area under the curve.
2. Find the area by following the directions for each
case shown.
a. To find the area to the left of z, find the area
that2.corresponds
The area to the
to z in the Standard Normal
Table.left of z = 1.23
is 0.8907.

z
0 1.23
1. Use the table to find
the area for the z-score.
Guidelines for Finding Areas
Finding Areas Under the Standard
Normal Curve
b. To find the area to the right of z, use the
Standard Normal Table to find the area that
corresponds to z. Then subtract the area from
1. 2. The area to 3. Subtract to find the area
the left of z = to the right of z = 1.23:
1.23 is 0.8907. 1 0.8907 =
0.1093.

z
0 1.23
1. Use the table to find
the area for the z-score.
Guidelines for Finding Areas
Finding Areas Under the Standard
Normal Curve
c. To find the area between two z-scores, find the
area corresponding to each z-score in the
Standard Normal Table. Then subtract the
smaller area
2. The from the larger
area to area.
4. Subtract to find the area
of the region between the
the left of z =
1.23 is two z-scores:
0.8907. 0.8907 0.2266 =
3. The area to the 0.6641.
left of z = 0.75 is
0.2266.

z
0.75 0 1.23

1. Use the table to find the area

for the z-score.
Guidelines for Finding Areas
Example:
Find the area under the standard normal
curve to the left of z = 2.33.

Always draw
the curve!

2.33 0

From the Standard Normal Table, the area is equal to 0.0099.

Guidelines for Finding Areas
Example:
Find the area under the standard normal
curve to the right of z = 0.94.
Always draw
the curve!
0.8264
1 0.8264 = 0.1736

z
0 0.94

From the Standard Normal Table, the area is equal to 0.1736.

Guidelines for Finding Areas
Example:
Find the area under the standard normal
curve between z = 1.98 and z = 1.07.
Always draw
0.8577
the curve!
0.8577 0.0239 = 0.8338
0.0239

z
1.98 0 1.07

From the Standard Normal Table, the area is equal to 0.8338.

 Examples
By using the z-score formula
Find the z-score then the area under the curve using your
Standard Normal Table to find the probability.
In a recent year, the ACT scores for the English portion of
the test were normally distributed, with a mean of 24.2 and a
standard deviation of 2.7. A high school student who took the
English portion of the ACT is randomly selected.
1. Find the probability that the students ACT score is less
than 19.
Examples
2. Find the probability that the students ACT
score is between 17 and 26.

3. Find the probability that the students ACT

score is more than 30.
Examples
3. Find the z-score that corresponds to the
given cumulative area by using your Standard
Normal Table.

1. 0.94

2. 0.4364
Find the z-score that corresponds to the given
percentile.

1.

2.
Examples
1. Find the z-score that has 17.9% of the
distributions area to its left.

2. Find the z-score that has 62.5% of the

distributions area to its right.
 Examples
In a survey of men in the United States (ages 20-
29), the mean height was 69.9 inches with a standard
deviation of 3.0 inches. First find the z-score by using
the Standard Normal Table, then by using the formula
, solve for the x value.
1. What height represents the 90th percentile?
2. What height represents the first quartile?